


The Old Inn

by Denebola_Leo



Series: Whippersnappers [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Comedy, Gen, Ghosts, Gift Fic, Haunted Houses, Sequel, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23113009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo
Summary: Noctis and the bros have found themselves stranded in a strange land not of Eos. Will they get back before the undead discover who they are? (sequel to Ghostly Hosts)
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough
Series: Whippersnappers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661371
Comments: 7
Kudos: 57





	1. The Old Strifehart Inn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jongiplier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jongiplier/gifts).



Noctis wasn’t sure how he ended up here, in this strange place that was similar to Eos but not quite. The storm the other night, Daemons spawning about the Regalia like an army of nightmares. Iggy had to go off road at one point when a Red Giant appeared on the asphalt, slowly swinging its sword at the car. Eventually they found a road again, the clouds cleared, and there was a rose blush in the east.

They kept driving until they came across a town, and apparently they weren’t on Eos anymore. The last of their gil(which somehow was near identical to what was used here) went to gas and a few snacks, and the attendant pointed them in the direction of the inn they were parked in front of now. It was big and old, with fresh flowers growing in the beds near the entrance. 

He really hoped the owners were as nice as the attendant said.

“I’ll do the talking,” Ignis stated as he walked towards the door. 

“If you insist,” Prompto replied as he readied his camera for a shot of the front of the inn.

Gladio shook his head. “What’re you gonna tell’em, ‘hey, can we get a night or two for free? We’re from some other world.’”

Ignis gave him a withering glance as he held the door handle. “There will be no talk about that, in case they decide we should be institutionalized.”

Noctis shrugged. “The locals didn’t seem to care that much.”

“It’s best to be less overt—” Ignis was interrupted by the door opening by itself, pulling away from his grip. He turned back to look at it, then through the doorway.

“Come on in!” came a cheerful, female voice from behind the door.

“Oh. Thank you,” Ignis said before walking through the threshold. The other three followed, entering what looked to be a tavernesque dining area, complete with a well stocked bar, stone fireplace, and a piano in a dark corner.

“It’s nice to meet you! My name is Tifa.” The woman closed the door and walked up to the group with a gentle smile, wearing a blue blouse and black leggings, her chocolate hair trailing down her back. “Are you here for rooms, or just lunch?”

“Good afternoon, Tifa. My name is Ignis,” he greeted, then stretched his hand out to the other three. “This is Noctis, Prompto, and Gladiolus. We’re in need of lodging, but we’re very low on funds.”

“We’ll do stuff for food,” Prompto interjected. 

Ignis sighed. “That would be the jist of it.”

Tifa laughed lightly, her hand partially covering her mouth for a few moments. “We’ll see what we can come up with. I can take you to your rooms first.”

“O-oh, really?! You’re as kind as you are pretty!” Prompto said with a large grin. Tifa blushed.

_ That’s it? _ Noctis shrugged to himself as they were guided upstairs. “We can bunk two to a room, in case more people show up,” he offered.

“Hope you like the floor, Iggy,” Prompto muttered with a grin. He was given a sideways glare as a reply.

“This is the slow season, and we have reservations next week,” Tifa responded as they reached the top of the stairway. “Anyway, the rooms are simple, but come with a bed, drawers, and a bathroom. Towels are in the closet.” She opened the door to one of the rooms, the walls painted a pale green with a few pictures decorating them. The bed had fluffy pillows and a quilt covered in star patterns, the bed frame a warm colored wood. The floor looked to be ancient oak. 

“I’ll give you guys these first four rooms.” She waved at the doors on the other side of where they stood, and pointed at the door adjacent to the one they were looking through. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll work on your lunch.”

“Whoa, wait! What about payment?” Gladiolus asked. Playfully, he tapped a bicep. “It ain’t because of these guns, now is it?”

Tifa turned to him, still smiling. She shook her head and giggled. “We’ll get to all that later, okay?”

She left, and the four stood in relative silence. Noctis almost felt like he was being watched, but shrugged it off. 

“Man, Tifa is be-au-ti-ful!” Prompto stated while jabbing Noctis’ side with his elbow.

Those unseen eyes felt as if they had shifted off him. Noctis rolled his eyes. “Giving up on Cindy already?”

“N-no! I’m just...stating the obvious.”

“Heh.” Noctis opened the door to another room, decorated similarly to the first, but this one had a window. “This one’s mine,” he stated.

It didn’t take long for them to settle in, bringing in their suitcases before sitting at a booth in the dining area, wall sconces lighting the area with a warm, golden glow. Noctis noted that there wasn’t a scrap of natural light in the room, thick red curtains covering the windows. He jabbed a finger between them, sunlight pooling on his skin. 

“Please don’t play with those.”

He jumped a little at the foreign, male voice, then turned to see a blond, spiky haired man with a slight frown on his angular face, wearing a simple white tee, black pants and work boots. Noctis thought he looked a little like Prompto. “Sorry. Just a little...dreary in here.”

The blond rubbed the back of his head. “...I have a sunlight allergy. So we keep the windows closed unless it’s overcast, sorry.”

“Oh, wow, that sucks!” Prompto responded. “We’ll keep that in mind, Mister, uh…”

“Name’s Cloud,” he said with a small chuckle. “Tifa and me run this inn with our friends. They’re not here right now, but their names are Zack and Aerith.”

“Oh, cool! So, how long have you guys been in business?” Prompto asked, hands tapping the wood table.

“A very long time,” Cloud replied, hands on his hips. There was a glint to his blue eyes. “Tifa used to run a bar in Edge, but after some things went down over there, we decided to shack up here.”

“Edge?” Noctis asked. He internally winced.  _ Way to go. _

Cloud raised a brow. “Yeah, it’s on the other side of Kalm. You from one of the other continents by chance?”

“Yes,” Ignis responded quickly. “First time in these parts.”

Gladiolus nodded. “Pretty peaceful.”

“Yep. Anyway,” Prompto began, scratching a cheek with his finger, “one of the locals said this place is haunted.”

“Really, Prompto?” Noctis gave him a withering look.

To his surprise, Cloud laughed. “Yeah. Four ghosts.” He raised a fist and spread out a finger for each he named. “The Red Lady, The Flower Girl, Zack the Ripper, and The Blue-eyed Killer.”

“The Blue-eyed Killer?” Gladiolus raised a brow as he frowned slightly. “Sounds kinda...generic.”

“Yeah, well, not so generic when you have to deal with a killer ghost.”

“Killer ghost?” Noctis rubbed his chin.

Cloud nodded solemnly. “The ghost of a murderer. Still roams the property with his giant sword.”

“Cloud?”

He turned his head towards the kitchen, then to the four at the table. “I’ll be right back.”

“Maybe we can repay them that way…” Prompto murmured as Cloud walked off.

Noctis raised a brow at him. “What, by ghost hunting?”

The young blond shrugged. “I wouldn’t want a killer ghost floating around my inn. Maybe that’s why there’s not that many people here.”

Ignis let out a small snort. “Cloud was probably just pulling our legs.”

“Well, I’m gonna look for it!” He bit his lip as he thought. “Maybe he leaves an ectoplasm trail, or something…”

“You’ve watched waaaaaay too many movies, Prompto,” Noctis commented.

“And how do you plan on killin’ it?” Gladiolus asked. “It’s a ghost!”

“Maybe they’re like Daemons,” Prompto pondered. “We’ve slayed them before.”

“Eh, maybe we should just do whatever odd jobs they ask of us,” Noctis replied. “Instead of chasing after ghosts.”

“A wise decision,” Ignis said while holding his water glass. His green eyes glanced towards Tifa and Cloud as they came towards them, holding trays. “Ah. Thank you again, Tifa. We’re very much in your debt.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll put you to work after lunch,” Cloud said jokingly as he placed a bowl in front of Noctis, then Ignis.

“Cloud!” Tifa gave him a look, then turned and smiled as she served Prompto and Gladiolus. “With his allergy, we could use some help with an outdoor chore, now that I think about it.”

Gladiolus chuckled. “We’ll get it done in no time.”

“I mean, we don’t really have that much work to do here...But it’ll be nice to get a few of these chores out of the way,” Tifa said.

Noctis frowned into his bowl. He knew Tifa would probably serve them something cheap but filling; after all, beggars can’t be choosers, as they say. But it just had to be beans. He could feel Ignis’ eyes on him as he used his spoon to stir the mess. It looked to be something similar to chili, but brown. 

Not wanting to be a bad guest after Tifa’s hospitality, Noctis took a bite. Despite the texture from the beans, he found the taste palatable enough. It tasted of pork and savory vegetables, and they overrode the beans. “I like it,” he said between bites.

“Hm? He’s eating beans?” Prompto leaned in a little. His camera was at the ready.

Ignis adjusted his glasses. “Fascinating.” He looked at Tifa. “I might have to ask for the recipe.”

“Hm...I don’t know, it’s a very old recipe I’ve perfected over the years,” she replied with a small blush, holding the tray in front of her chest and slightly swaying her shoulders.

Cloud snickered. “Old family recipe.”

“Too bad, Iggy! Guess you won’t get Noct to eat his beans,” Gladiolus said with a chuckle before digging into his bowl.

“...Hm.”

After they ate their lunch, Cloud and Tifa gave them chores to help around the inn. Ignis was asked to help in the kitchen when Tifa found out about his cooking skills, Prompto to help with the laundry, and Gladiolus and Noctis to chop firewood outside.

It wasn’t Noctis’ favorite thing to do.

“You let me do the choppin’, you can pick it up.” Gladiolus took the ax in hand as he stood in front of the thick stump of a tree, which had seen better days.    
  
Noctis nodded, took a piece of wood, and placed it on the stump. Gladiolus lifted the ax, aimed it, then sliced downward, splitting the wood in two. He took one half, put it upright, and split it, and did the same to its twin. Noctis gathered it up and placed it in the holder by the inn’s outer stone wall, lightly covered by its shadow. 

They continued on, the pile dwindling.

“Y’know, I was wondering…”

Gladiolus looked up from his work and wiped his brow of sweat. “Yeah?”

Noctis grabbed the split wood. “I wanna see if my powers work here.”

“Well, give it a shot, then.”

Noctis nodded, and lifted up his gloved hand. Focusing, a dagger appeared out of thin air, just the same as if they were on Eos. He looked at it, then the wood pile, then threw his weapon at it. Immediately he teleported to the dagger, and he placed the wood on the pile. 

He sent the dagger back, then smirked a little as he walked back to Gladiolus. “Same as always.”

Gladiolus chuckled. “That’s good to know. Shoulda checked earlier, this ax has a damn chip in it.” He picked up the last of the wood and readied it. “Maybe if they give us some other chore, like kicking some monster ass.”

“Eh, I’m fine just doing this.”

“Of course you are!” He sliced the wood. “I’m doing all the work!”

“Your prince appreciates your sacrifice,” Noctis said dryly.

“Little shit,” muttered Gladiolus. “Get over here and fetch the last of this wood.”

Finished, the two headed inside for whatever duty would be given next. Ignis could be seen preparing some tough looking root vegetables in the galley, another thick curtain hiding the sunlight from the stony room. There was a fireplace with a cauldron here, as well as more modern amenities. There were glowing coals beneath the iron pot, and wisps of steam danced above it. The smell of slow cooking meat hung in the air, mixing with the scent of burning wood.

“Welcome back,” Ignis greeted without looking up.

“Thanks.” Noctis studied the cauldron. There was just steaming water in it. “Making a big dinner for us?”

Ignis shook his head. “Tifa said their family is visiting in a couple of days. So, I’m helping with preparations. Perhaps it’ll help me come up with a new recipe.”

“Huh. Well, have fun,” Noctis replied before heading into the dining room. He looked around, but found it empty. The quiet inn creaked a little as it settled in the afternoon sun. Then he heard Prompto shout. 

He stared towards the second floor before booking it upstairs. “Prompto?!”

He found Prompto in his room, staring at the wall and a pile of towels at his feet. Getting closer, he noticed there was writing in some sort of clear slime on the wall. His brows scrunched up. “...What? What’s this? R-E-D-R-U-M?”

“I-I was just coming in here to put some towels away and I saw this,” Prompto explained. “D’you think the Blue-eyed Killer is after me?”

Noctis wasn’t sure what to think. Prompto was legitimately unnerved, and he wasn’t about to touch the slime on the wall. “...Maybe we should tell Cloud or Tifa.”

“Hey, what’s going on?” 

He turned around to see Gladiolus and Ignis coming through the doorway. He jabbed his thumb towards the far wall. “Someone wrote on the wall.”

“Hm.” Ignis came closer to the writing. “‘Redrum’ is ‘murder’ backwards.”

“I know that!” Prompto pouted.

Ignis almost touched it when there was a knock on the door. “Hey! Everything okay?”

Noctis looked back. There was a tall, muscular man with spiky black hair and blue eyes smiling at them. He walked further into the room and put a hand on his chest. “Name’s Zack.”

“Zack? You’re not related to Zack the Ripper, are you?” Prompto asked anxiously.

He chuckled. “I get that a lot!”

“Do you deal with slimy ghosts a lot, too?” Gladiolus asked after looking back at the wall. 

“...It looks like shampoo to me,” Ignis said cautiously.

“Ectoplasm is kinda similar to it,” Zack said. “In my experience, that is.”

“In your experience?” Ignis replied, turning to look at him.

He nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I’ve been here a long while, so you get to see what ghosts do.” He shook his head. “Man, I feel bad for whoever’s room this is, the Blue-eyed Killer marks his victims like this.”

“V-victims?” Prompto looked about nervously.

“Not a very bright ghost, then.” Ignis looked back at the slime, then at Zack. “Wouldn’t this just run away guests?”

“Uh...I mean…” Zack’s face began to sport a blush. “It’s a ghost, not a person…”

“Maybe it’s just a prank,” Gladiolus muttered. 

Noctis was beginning to feel the same way. Not that he could really blame a bored innkeeper for it, but staining a wall with shampoo seemed a little over the top. That was, until the lamp on the nightstand moved forward by itself.

“Shit!” Prompto jumped onto Gladiolus.  “Hey, get off!”

“See? It’s one of the ghosts!” Zack pointed at the lamp. 

Ignis came over to inspect it, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. “Hmm...No strings...”

Noctis stared at the lamp. Was the place truly haunted, then? He licked his lips as skepticism fought belief. Was a ghost really going to come after Prompto? Well, that just meant they’d have to protect him. He gave his blond friend a nod. “It’ll be alright.”

“What’s going on in here?”

Tifa was peeking behind Zack, concern written on her face. “Is everyone alright?”

“Someone wrote on the wall in shampoo,” Gladiolus said.

“It’s ectoplasm,” Zack insisted.

Her red eyes narrowed as they came across the still wet letters sprawled on the wall, then shifted to Zack. “I see. Well,” she began, returning to her usual cheery self and smiling at the group, “you guys should go rest downstairs before dinner. Zack can clean up this mess on the wall!”

“Awww…”

“B-but what about the ghost?” Prompto asked. 

Tifa gave him what looked like a somewhat forced smile. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Ah, but you already are...How about a drink?”

Somehow, she coaxed them downstairs, and made them some cocktails to relax over. Soon, Noctis forgot about murderous ghosts and ectoplasm, but he still wondered how they were supposed to pay back the innkeepers, who were kind enough to actually use meat for their dinner.

“So, where are you guys from?” Tifa asked as she put the platters in front of them. To Noctis’ delight, the only vegetable in sight was mashed potatoes, next to a chunk of slow cooked meat.

He wasn’t sure how to answer her question properly, and he could feel the tension between the rest of the group. He looked down at his food, contemplating his response, then looked back at Tifa. “We’re from a place called Insomnia. We wanna get back as soon as we can.”

Despite her smile, a brow was raised in skepticism. “Insomnia?”

“What kind of a name is that?” asked a female voice that came from someone out of sight.

“Aerith…” Tifa looked towards the fireplace.

“I’d say it’s a name similar to Kalm,” Ignis countered.

“Fair enough,” Tifa replied. “Hopefully you can get back home soon.”

“Mm.” Gladiolus finished a bite of his meal. “D’you know if the town has any odd jobs for gil? I know we said we’d help around here, but money will help us all out.”   
  
“Yeah, can’t live off your charity forever,” Prompto agreed.

“Well, tomorrow, then, why not go to town and see what they have posted? There’s always a need for someone to wipe out a monster den, or fix a roof…”

“We’re pretty good at killing monsters,” said Prompto.

Aerith walked over, a little smile on her face. “Are you? Well, this place might challenge you a bit.”

“We can take it,” Gladiolus said confidently.

Well, that settled that. They would earn their keep the same way they had on Eos. Noctis prefered it, considering there were only so many chores to go around in the inn, and he only wanted to stay within its haunted walls seldomly as it was. After tonight, they would venture out for gil.


	2. The Danger Zone

A noise startled Noctis awake as he lay in his bed. It was high pitched and coming from near his shoulder. He groggily opened his eyes and found a mess of blond hair shivering on his chest. “...Prompto…?”

“H-he’s here…” Prompto whispered. 

Noctis shifted his gaze from Prompto, to the front of the bed. There stood a dark figure in the dim moonlight coming from the window, two blue dots staring back at them from a face he couldn’t make out. 

The figure moved a step closer to the bed.

Noctis made his move.

He materialized his dagger, quickly aimed, then threw it at The Blue-eyed Killer. Noctis immediately teleported to it, grabbed it out of the wall, and swapped it with the Engine Blade II. Twirling around to face the ghost, he noticed it had no face, only eyes, which stared back blankly. Then it was gone.

Noctis looked around, sword held up, waiting for the ghost to strike. He heard Prompto shuffling about in bed, the tableside lamp clicking on and bathing the room in comforting light. After what felt like a minute, he lowered the sword and let it dissipate as he let out a heavy sigh.

Before he could say anything to Prompto, the door burst open, Gladiolus looking about in a panic as he gripped his axe. What’s going on?!”

“It was the ghost, The Blue-eyed Killer!” Prompto replied with his voice raised. “He’s after me, I know it!”

Ignis slid into the room, his glasses slightly crooked on his nose, and walked towards the splintered hole in the wall. “Did that necessitate property destruction?”

“Uh…” Noctis scratched the back of his head. “I...I wasn’t really thinking, you know? I just saw him, and…”

“Where did he go?” Gladiolus demanded.

Both Noctis and Prompto shrugged. “He just disappeared.”

Gladiolus let out a grunt, then let his ax disappear. “Well now what?”

“...Perhaps we should explain the situation to the owners.” Ignis straightened out his glasses, and looked towards the door. “You would think they would have checked on the commotion up here.”

Noctis strained to hear, but there were no sounds indicating that anyone but them were awake. The unsettling feeling of them being watched returned, and he grimaced. “I feel like we’re being watched.”

“Did it come back?” Prompto looked about, slightly hunched, as if something would come out of the walls at any moment. He brought out his guns, his blue eyes wild and his face full of terror. “I don’t wanna get killed by a ghost...or slimed for that matter!”

“Would you put those away?” Ignis reprimanded. “The last thing we need is you shooting out the windows.”

“S-sorry,” Prompto replied, returning the guns to the aether. “Man, I’m glad Noctis’ powers still work here.”

“Me too,” Noctis responded. He looked about; the feeling was still there, but the ghost hadn’t made a move since the lights came on. “...I think we’ll be okay. We’ll sleep with the light on.”

“...I don’t know.” Gladiolus was flexing his fists. “I think I’m gonna keep watch.”

Noctis shook his head, then plopped back onto the bed. “You need to sleep, too.”

“Not with some killer ghost roaming around.”

“As your prince, Glady, I order you to get some sleep.” He shuffled back into bed. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

Noctis threw the covers back on and turned to his side, quietly waiting for sleep to take him again. No ghost was going to stop him from one of his favorite pastimes. As he began to doze off again, he heard and felt Prompto get back in bed. 

It felt like it was too soon to wake up, but the glow filtering through the window told him it was so. With quite a bit of effort he threw the covers off of him, stretched, then slowly rose from the bed. He looked around for Prompto, but only found Gladiolus leaning against the door, asleep.

Noctis decided to leave him be. He went to the bathroom, where he found Prompto, staring at the bathtub. The blond jumped at Noctis’ entry, then pointed at the tub. “T-there’s blood in here!”

He moved the shower curtains back, and noticed a few red smears marring the white ceramic. He looked about further, a little panic in his chest until he saw a small red puddle, oozing down the drain. “Wait a minute…”

He bit his lip as he reached out his fingers, then dipped them into the red mess.

“Prompto…”

“Yeah?”

Noctis turned around slowly, his fingers splotched red as he sniffed the unknown substance. It smelled...tangy. “This is ketchup.”

“Wait...Really? Ketchup?” Prompto grabbed his friend’s hand and sniffed his fingers, and Noctis sighed and pulled them away, washing his hands off in the sink immediately after. “Gladio never left, you know. Maybe this happened before The Blue-eyed Killer visited us…”

Noctis really wasn’t sure what to make of the whole situation. What he saw last night was an apparition, but there was shampoo and ketchup being used like props in a poorly funded movie. Who were these ghosts, really? Why did they have it out for Prompto?

He looked at him from the mirror’s reflection, still very obviously paranoid. Well, that answered that question. Noctis turned around and motioned his head towards the shower. “I’ll go second.”

After they showered and somehow woke up Gladiolus, the two went downstairs, straightening their clothing out. The smell of coffee, eggs and bacon greeted them as they made their way downstairs. They found Ignis sitting at the bar with a plate of food and a mug in his hand. He turned his head and greeted the two quietly.

Tifa and Aerith came through the kitchen doors as the two sat down. “Good morning!” Tifa greeted. Aerith just smiled at them both, her yellow sun dress a contrast to the dim dining room.

“Morning,” they both mumbled. Noctis rubbed his eye.

“...Didn’t sleep well?” Tifa asked, her voice somewhat concerned. She went towards the coffee maker and started to pour out a couple of mugs.

Prompto yawned. “Tried to...I mean the beds are really comfy, but, uh…”

Ignis cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Tifa, but during the night...a ghost startled Noctis awake.” He put down his cup of coffee, and gave her the most apologetic look Noctis had ever seen on his face. “He...threw something at it, and it may have damaged the wall.”

A furious blush overtook Noctis. Why was he breaking the news now, and not after they already had enough funds to pay for the repairs? “S-sorry,” he muttered.

She stared at Ignis. “...A ghost, you say?”

“Mhm. Prompto insisted it was The Blue-eyed Killer.”

Tifa placed the mugs on the counters a bit forcefully, the dark brown drink sloshing onto the polished wood. Aerith was covering her mouth. Was she...laughing? “...I see,” said Tifa.

“Guess you’ll have to pay for the wall, then,” Aerith commented with a shrug and a smug smile. “Ghosts aren’t an excuse for property damage!”

“Aerith!” Tifa shook her head. “It’s the ghost’s fault!”

“The ghost is harmless, probably!”

“Probably?” Prompto repeated, holding his mug tightly. “...Can we go camping, Noct, please?”

Tifa sighed harshly. “The ghosts are harmless. Dumb as bricks, but harmless.” She gave a short bow. “If you don’t mind, we’ll get that fixed today!”

“That’s fine. As long as there isn’t shampoo or ketchup everywhere when we get back,” Noctis said before sipping his coffee. It was good, with barely a hint of bitterness; it was just what he needed after last night.

“Ketchup?”

“Yeah, it was in the tub! Looked like a murder scene,” said Prompto, who began to sip his drink as well. “Wow, this is good stuff,” he muttered.

“Hm. Well, let me get you guys some food.”

Breakfast had been, thankfully, rather normal, and Aerith told them where to find the public assistance board. Tifa told them about a rather large mark in the area, a Behemoth, and that it had showed up very recently. 

She put a breakfast platter in front of Gladiolus. “...If you think you can handle it, you could get a lot of gil from the bounty. But don’t go getting yourselves killed over some money.”

“We aren’t pushovers, don’t you worry,” Gladiolus assured her, his fork stabbing some potato.

After Gladiolus finished, they headed out to the Regalia, and Ignis took them towards the town they had happened upon yesterday morning. It was still a little quiet, but people could be seen walking here or there. They found the board near the middle of the town, in a plaza with a small fountain in the middle of a roundabout.

The four left the car and investigated.

“Hm...So, the Behemoth.” Ignis crossed his arms. “I still think it might be a bit too much.”

“Pfft, I bet we could take it on!” Gladiolus clapped Ignis’ back. “Four against one!”

“We have no idea how powerful they are on this world,” countered Ignis.

Noctis hummed a bit, eyes narrowed at the water-worn request as it rested on a map of the region. It was holed up in a cave relatively close to both the town and the inn. “Yeah, but for that much gil, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Prompto looked between the board and Noctis. “Whoa, y’sure?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Besides, gotta get a few pictures of an otherworldly Behemoth!”

“Yeah! Oh, you know, I haven’t even checked my camera…”

“You haven’t been taking pictures?” Gladiolus scoffed.

“I gotta bunch!” Prompto took out his camera. “See?”

Ignis looked at the camera roll before taking it and flipping through the roll. “Hm.”

“‘Hm’ what?” Prompto asked as he moved towards Ignis’ shoulder, trying to look.

“You took a picture of the ghost. There’s also a few in here where it looks like someone was watching behind us…”

“Huh?” Noctis took a look. The picture was of him, eating his lunch yesterday. Aerith was in the background, near the fireplace, her face inscrutable. “She was there when we were eating?”

“No,” Prompto responded. “I swear she wasn’t there, I would’ve noticed her in that blue dress.”

“It’s kinda dark in there,” Gladiolus reminded him.

“Yeah, but it’s a bright dress, and we hadn't met yet.”

Ignis handed back the camera. “I believe that perhaps, our innkeepers are keeping a secret from us.” He headed back to the Regalia, shoes clacking against the cobblestone sidewalk.

“What kinda secret?” Noctis asked as he followed his friend into the car. Not that he didn’t think so himself, but, it sounded like Ignis knew something.

Ignis said nothing as they sat, and he started the Regalia up and began to drive to their destination. Noctis was about to ask him more firmly when he spoke up. “I left your room last night, and pretended to go to sleep. However, after a while, I heard Cloud’s voice through the vent in the floor near the window.

“He was talking to someone. He asked this person to come as a repairman for the wall.” He glanced over his shoulder with a meaningful look before returning his eyes to the road. 

Noctis felt his face drain of color as his jaw dropped. “Wait—are you saying Cloud knew about the wall?”

“Because he was the ghost,” Ignis answered.

“But—the ghost disappeared! Cloud isn’t—”

“It seems he is, indeed, a ghost,” Ignis interrupted.

“Are you serious?” Gladiolus asked incredulously from the back.

Ignis nodded as he drove them through emerald fields, the vast, azure sky painted with large, white clouds of various heights. “I would wager all four of them are ghosts. Cloud said they’ve run the inn for a very long time, and mentioned that they had lived in Edge before that. I never told them that I had heard of that place in the town; it is an overgrown ruin to the west of Kalm, abandoned for nearly two hundred years.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?!” Prompto demanded as he leaned in the front seat. “We’ve been staying with a bunch of ghosts!”

“I felt that perhaps they were having fun with us as locals. It wasn’t until last night that I was absolutely certain.”

Noctis pursed his lips and looked towards the fields as they zoomed by. “So, what do we do? We have no idea what they really want from us.”

“They don’t even have any need for gil,” Gladiolus said. “Even the chores seemed silly.”

“Do you think they...do you think they want us to keep them company?” Prompto nervously tapped his fingers on his knees. “Like, forever?”

“Don’t really know,” Ignis replied. “I have to wonder if this Behemoth is part of a larger scheme, since Tifa brought it up.”

Gladiolus snorted. “They’ve underestimated us, then. But...we should probably collect the reward on this mark as soon as we can, then find another place to rest.”

Noctis nodded, though none of them saw it. There were questions on his mind as they quietly continued towards their destination. What were ghosts doing, hosting the living? They seemed alive, but, he never saw them in the sunlight, always within the walls of the inn, as if they were trapped there.

But where were they getting fresh food from, then?

“What about their family?” Hadn’t Ignis mentioned that that was why he was preparing roots that barely looked edible as it was?

Ignis shrugged. “Don’t know. It’s one mystery after another, that’s for certain.”

“They’re gonna cook us,” Prompto insisted.

“Ghosts don’t eat,” Gladiolus said. 

“Well, what are they doing with that pot, then?”

“I don’t know!”

The Regalia pulled up to the entrance of a cavern that was on the side of a now dirt road. As they left the vehicle a chill draft of air came from deep inside the cave, making them hesitate. Swallowing, Noctis moved to the front of the group, turned on his hip light, and strode into the waiting maw of the earth. Ignis stopped him right as they passed a stalactite.

“This is a Behemoth, Noct. We’ll need to plan accordingly.”

Noctis shrugged. “What do you suggest?”

“It would be best if we can ambush it, obviously. It’ll be close quarters, so elemancy will be out of the question.” Ignis looked into the cave, then back at Noctis. “I’ll try to poison it, if at all possible.”

“Alright. Well, here goes nothing.” Noctis took one last look outside the cavern, turned around, and walked deeper inside.

Dirt and pebbles crunched beneath their feet as they went deeper into the winding tunnel, their nostrils filled with the scent of moist dust and stone. There were distant sounds further in, a rhythmic rumble. The four watched the shadows cast by the light, waiting for anything to jump out at them.

“I feel like a Daemon is gonna come out of the shadows any minute,” Prompto whispered.

Noctis grunted in agreement. It was best to not talk.

They traveled further into the cave, which was thankfully straightforward. It bent and curved, but the path didn’t split. There was some light from bioluminescent fungi that clung to the rock walls in colonies, spilling out a pale, violet light. Besides the sound of their hopefully sleeping target, the cave was peaceful.

That was, until they heard an agitated roar.

The main chamber was ahead, and the shadow of a large monster thrashed on the wall. The four peeked in, and saw the Behemoth thrashing about angrily. Noctis looked about for whatever pissed it off, but it was either hiding or had already left.

It was similar to Behemoths from their world, but the mane ended with webbed dorsal spines. The skin looked yellow and bloodied around the lower back, and the eyes had a dull, dark blue or violet glow. The horns, claws, and stance of the beast were very much like the ones they had slain on Eos.

The monster whipped its head around and howled, and something bright and round appeared out of nowhere, then crashed into the wall near them, shooting debris everywhere. Again the strange magic appeared, this time hitting the far wall of the cave and scattering a large mat of fungi.

“Shit, what is it doing?!”

“I don’t know!” 

The Behemoth’s back was towards them now, and Noctis knew this was the best time to strike. The Engine Blade II appeared in his hand and, tensing, he threw it into the monster’s shoulder. It let out a roar as Noctis teleported; he tore it from the yellowish hide and began wailing on it, clipping its dorsal spines, scattering the fur of its mane, and slashing at the now barely exposed meat of its back.

It twisted around, and Noctis was swatted away with the back of the Behemoth’s paw. He hit the rubble strewn ground and slid on his shoulder for several feet, grit scratching his cheek. Noctis rolled and stumbled to his feet as quickly as he could as the other three joined the fray, then warped again, close to the beast’s face, and sliced its lip.

Its glowing, deep indigo eyes glared back as it readied white hot fire in its mouth.

Noctis kicked away from it, then warped to the wall behind the monster as Gladiolus hit its snout hard, shutting its mouth for a second and making its magic splatter against its tongue. Gladiolus soon found his shoulder gored on the Behemoth’s horn, then unceremoniously tossed into a pile of stone and fungal rubble. 

Again Noctis warped to it, and a feeling of great power began to grow in his chest. The Armiger. If they could just hold on a bit longer, he could use that ancient power to butcher the Behemoth. He made contact with its already raw lower back and sliced downward into the flesh of its leg. Looking for Gladiolus, he saw his arm moving in the small mound.   
  
“Gladio!”

Ignus, despite the twilight, threw a dagger at the Behemoth’s face. The blade glided through the damp cavern air, and as the monster attacked Prompto(his guns blazing) it pierced an eye, sending the Behemoth into a howling fit of pain and rage. While it was fortunately half blind, it was unfortunately thrashing about, its tail swiping at the three still standing.

Prompto was thrown to the ceiling, then dropped with a sickening thud. He groaned as he slowly moved his limbs, but it was clear the tail swipe had done a number on him. Noctis twirled and took out one of their last potions, ready to toss it as his friend. “Prompto!”

Light exploded in front of him.

Noctis felt dust and grit rain on his face, his ears ringing from the impact. A foot away from him was a crater that separated him from Prompto and Ignis. His body felt ready to give out after the powerful spell nearly hit him directly. He crawled towards Prompto, stretching out his hand, still holding the potion, but his friend was too far away, now sprawled on his back. Ignis was trying to stay up, but the Behemoth had cornered him.

The last thing Noctis thought as his arm fell in front of him was that this was how things would end for them, eaten by a Behemoth.


	3. Spooktakular

“...Uh…”

Noctis was sore. His whole body ached as he began to slowly move his limbs, groaning as a joint popped into place here and there. He sucked in a breath of fresh, grassy air, then opened his eyes, wincing, blinking, and widening. They looked back and forth at an overcast, grey sky.

Where was he?

He heard a few grunts around him. Finally, Noctis lifted his torso up to look around. His friends were waking up. It looked like someone had dragged them out of the cave, but who? He looked at his clothing; it was torn up a little, but nothing he hadn’t had to deal with before. Then he remembered Gladiolus’ injury, and he quickly crawled the short distance to him.

There was blood on Gladiolus’ shoulder, but the injury was mostly gone, the skin pink and a little swollen from the rapid recovery that must have taken place. Gladiolus huffed a few times before giving Noctis a cheeky grin. “You didn’t think that was gonna end me, did ya?”

Noctis looked away. “Nah.”

“Uh...huh? Hey, we’re outside?” Prompto was getting up and looking around. “What? What happened? Did we win?”

Ignis fixed his glasses after finding them on the grass next to him. “The last thing I remember is that Behemoth batting me like a cat does with a toy.”

“I don’t know what happened…” Noctis looked a few feet in front of him. There was a large, black claw attached to a large digit, slightly bloodied with dirty yellow hide. He swallowed, despite his dry mouth. “...Is that what I think it is?”

Gladiolus, still on his back, looked over, then reached out towards the claw. He lifted it up for Noctis to see. “It’s the Behemoth’s claw…”   
  
“Did you get it, Glady?” Prompto hobbled closer.

Gladiolus shook his head. “No, been out of it since it mauled me.”

“Then who?”

Noctis shrugged. “Dunno.” Who indeed would save them from this, and leave proof of the monster kill?

Ignis studied the claw. “I don’t know, but we should probably get out of here while the weather holds.”

“You sure we shouldn’t wait for whoever helped us?” Noctis shakily stood up and looked about. Gladiolus followed suit.

Ignis narrowed his eyes at the entrance of the cave, then turned towards the Regalia. “No. They had their chance to introduce themselves.”

Still aching, they headed towards the vehicle with their trophy in hand. The ride into town had a few drops of rain fall on them, but the skies mostly held back. When they had gotten the bounty, which had been increased after it turned out the target was a King Behemoth, the rain became heavier and thunder rolled in the distance. The ride to the inn was full of quiet contemplation: how would they leave, should they leave the town with a dangerous inn full of ghosts, would their hosts turn murderous if they said anything hinting that they knew?

“I’ll go inside and get our luggage,” Ignis said suddenly.

Noctis blinked. “What?”

“All alone?” Prompto turned to look at Noctis with a frown.

Gladiolus shook his head. “Not without me!”

“Same,” Noctis answered. “We go in together.”

They rolled up to the entrance and into the small parking lot. There was an old, brown truck parked in their original spot. “That must belong to the so-called repairman,” Ignis muttered before leaving the Regalia.

“So, uh...I wonder who he’s supposed to be?” Prompto asked as they walked towards the shelter of the front porch, each pair holding an umbrella.

Ignis glanced back, then put his umbrella by the door. “I had hoped we would return before he came. He sounded rather seedy.”

Noctis gave his friend a look. “Seedy?”

“Mm. Cloud mentioned a...comfortable coffin with his name on it.”

Gladiolus shrugged. “Could be a joke on his part.”

“Great,” Prompto said, fidgeting around, “a vampire.”

Noctis made a face as thunder cracked nearby, then he walked inside. First ghosts, now a vampire. He hoped it was just paranoia.

By the bar sat a tall man wearing jeans and a dark green plaid shirt. His jet black hair was topped with a slate green ball cap. The stranger was sipping on what looked like red wine. Prompto mumbled something behind Gladiolus about blood.

“I can’t believe you two! Teasing them like that when they’re down on their luck!”

Cloud was sitting next to the dark haired man, one hand playing with something while the other ran through his blond spikes. “It’s not like anyone got hurt...”

“Family is coming over tomorrow, we don’t need our—”

Tifa twirled around, her face showing shock when her eyes met Noctis’. The raven haired man took a short sideways glance their way, then went back to his wine. She tucked a lock of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear and leaned a little on the counter. “H-hey! You’re back!”

“What, not expecting us?” Noctis asked dryly as he crossed his arms. Cloud looked his way, blush fading from his cheeks.

She shook her head. “Not so soon. How did everything go?” Her eyes widened as she studied Gladiolus. “What happened to your shoulder?”

“Just a scratch,” he said tersely.

“It is now,” Cloud said, then he coughed into his closed hand. “I mean is it now?”

“The Behemoth’s taken care of,” Ignis replied as he took out the earnings pouch. “We’d like to pay for our stay, now.”

Tifa gave him a gentle smile. “You don’t have to do that just yet.”

“We’ve decided it best to begin our travels again, now that we have the gil to do so.”

She seemed taken aback; her eyes went from Cloud to Ignis. “Oh. You’re going to leave in the middle of a storm?”

“Uh, w-we wanted to get a headstart!” Prompto tried to smile, faltering as it was. 

“But it’s dangerous to drive in this,” she countered. “Don’t you hear how hard the wind is hitting the inn?”

Thunder boomed at that moment, and the lights flickered. Prompto squeaked.

“It’s much safer in here,” the stranger advised. “The storm won’t stop until late at night.”

“N-no thanks,” Prompto managed to say.

“I’m a very careful driver.” Ignis walked towards the counter and placed the pouch upon it. “How much do we owe you, Tifa?”

“Um…” She looked down at the bills. “...Don’t worry about it.”

“What?” Gladiolus gave Noctis a look that told him he was more suspicious than he was when Ignis first divulged what he knew. “You don’t want our money now?”

She looked over at him with a serious expression. “No. It’s fine.”

“You’re gonna need it more than us,” Cloud said flatly. “Still, it’s not a good idea to leave.”

“The roads are dangerous,” came a voice from behind them. They turned to see Aerith, her brows scrunched together. “The road to Kalm is prone to mudslides, and the path out to the grasslands gets hit with powerful winds during storms like these.”

“...When did you get in here?” Gladiolus asked. “I didn’t hear the door open.”

She softly smiled and winked. “It’s a secret!”

“Aerith…” Tifa sighed and shook her head. “Well, I won’t keep you. Please be careful out there, if you insist on driving.”

“Thank you, Tifa. We’re very grateful for your generosity.” Ignis reluctantly pocketed the pouch. 

“We’ll get the luggage,” Gladiolus stated before getting Prompto and Noctis to follow him upstairs.

“Let’s make this quick,” Prompto said as he followed him up the stairs. “Before they murder us.”

“I think they had their chance,” said Noctis quietly. Whatever the ghosts wanted, it wasn’t their deaths. Or, so he hoped.  _ Maybe the guy at the bar really is a vampire... _

He looked around as he came to his room. The wall had been patched up and his window blinds were closed. He could hear the wind howling and the thunder cracking in quick succession, and he wondered if it really was a good idea to leave, even if their hosts were a gaggle of malevolent ghosts.

With a resigned sigh, he began to pack whatever clothing he had left out, occasionally looking out for any peeking eyes. It was a shame, he thought, that he would have to nap in the car and not on this bed, if the weather even permitted that.

“Hey, you comin’ or what?” Gladiolus popped his head into the room. “Hurry up!”

“Don’t tell me Prompto is rubbing off on you, Gladio,” Noctis snarked as he hefted up his suitcase. 

“Shut up, Noct.” He opened the door more for his prince.

“Almost out of here,” Prompto said with a nervous eagerness as Noctis met him outside his room. “That cave felt safer than here.”

“Really, Prompto?”   
  
“Eh...Well, no, not really. But this place is giving me the creeps right now!” He began walking down the stairs. “So—”   
  
As he took a step, the lights flickered, then completely went out.

Prompto yelped in the darkness, and a loud crashing sound went rolling down the stairs. Noctis cursed under his breath, then turned on his hip light. He put his suitcase down and quickly made his way to Prompto, who was a quivering mass of anxiety and clothing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, my god,” Tifa’s voice said in the darkness. “Are you alright?!”

“ _Geeze, why’s he so jumpy?_ ” came Zack’s playful voice. It sounded...odd.  


“No idea,” Cloud responded innocently in the darkness. “Vincent?”

“I’m just the repairman,” he replied.

“J-just leave me alone!” Prompto held his coat over his head. “Y-you’re gonna drink our blood and cook us in a stew!”

“Prompto!”

“That’s a new one,” came the deep voice of the repair man.

“You think I’m going to what?” Tifa was at the edge of the light, and she looked unamused.

“That’s not a very nice thing to say,” said Aerith in an almost singsong voice.

“ _ You’re way too scrawny for a stew! _ ” Zack was chuckling in the darkness. “ _ Stew… _ ”

“Iggy, you there?” Noctis cautiously walked next to Prompto and shined his light towards the counter. Ignis looked back, his arms crossed and his face a mix of sterness and concern. Next to him was Vincent, watching quietly with his glass in hand.

Behind Ignis were a translucent Cloud and Zack, floating right above him with wide grins.

Noctis backed away, tripped over Prompto and found himself scrambling to get up as his best friend crawled about. Gladiolus tried grabbing them both and only snatched Noctis, who promptly decked him in the face in a panic.

“God damn it, Noct!” 

There were what sounded like giggles emanating from the darkness, which turned into full on laughter. “ _ Oh, man! _ ”

The lights came back on, off, on again. Tifa was standing there, looking down at the pile of clothing and young adults with a glare that sent a chill down Noctis’ spine. He swallowed, afraid that maybe this person, this ghost, would reveal her homicidal intentions now that he had finally seen them for what they were.

“Cloud.”

_ “T-Tifa?” _

“I need to talk to you. Now”

_ “ Uh, I-I think I learned my lesson. Really. ” _

Her living visage faded into a more otherworldly form, and she quickly floated towards the counter. For once, Ignis showed surprise and ducked out of the way as she grabbed Cloud by the arm, the both of them disappearing behind the bar’s wall. There was the sound of Tifa’s muffled yelling, and Noctis had to remember to close his mouth.

“You two really don’t know how to control yourselves,” Vincent said before another sip of wine. 

_ “ It’s not like we were gonna hurt anyone!” _ Zack pouted.

Prompto finally got out from under Noctis and his clothing and crawled towards the door as quickly as he could. Aerith barred his way, wagging a finger at him. “You can’t leave just yet!”

Noctis had had enough. He stood up, yanked his arm away from Gladiolus, and looked at the two ghosts in the room. “What the hell do you want from us?”

“A just inquiry,” Ignis said as he composed himself, distancing himself from Zack and Vincent.

_ “ Uh…” _ Zack scratched his cheek as he floated back to the floor. _ “ Well... _ ”

“We want the truth,” Aerith stated simply. “You’ve been hiding secrets from us!”

“ _Yeah, that’s right!_ ” Zack pointed at the three, specifically Noctis. “ _You guys can just make weapons appear outta nowhere!_ ”

“Out of nowhere?” Vincent asked. He took off his cap and tossed it on the counter with a slightly disdainful flourish.

_ “ I saw it with my own two eyes! ”  _ Zack crossed his arms, and a thoughtful frown crossed his face.  _ “ Speakin’ of which, how’d you do it? Who are you guys?” _

“It’s none of your concern,” Ignis shortly replied.

“Of course it is! You’re here under false pretenses,” Aerith seemed to tease, bending forward a bit and making Prompto back away. “We don’t know what you’re really up to.”

“You can’t keep us here,” Gladiolus warned. “Ghosts or not, we’re takin’ our leave.”

“Vincent here can stop you,” Aerith said as she straightened out and motioned towards him. “Even if you can make weapons appear from thin air.”

“Don’t drag me into this,” Vincent retorted. “I came to help fix a wall, not restrain your guests.”

_ “ Come on, they’re not even from here!” _ Zack stuck out his hand towards Ignis.  _ “ We heard you guys say you’re from another world! ” _   
  
“And that you’re a Prince,” Aerith added, looking at Noctis. 

“You’ve been snooping on us,” concluded Noctis. He straightened out his back and held his fists at his sides. “So why should we trust you?”

“Another good question,” Ignis said. “You’ve been tormenting Noctis and especially Prompto.”

Tifa suddenly reappeared in the middle of the dining room, her hands on her ghostly hips as she looked Zack’s way. _ “ And there won’t be any more of that, do you understand?! ” _

_ “ Y-yes, ma’am! ” _

“ _ Thank you. _ ” Tifa turned to Ignis, folded her hands in front of her hips, and bowed. “ _ I’m very sorry about all this. I understand if you wish to leave, but please, at least stay until the storm is over! ” _

Prompto whimpered on the floor. Noctis looked down at him, then up as another loud rumble shook the walls. His blue eyes met the back of Tifa’s head. “No more funny business?”

Tifa twirled towards Noctis and nodded. _ “They’ll behave, I promise.” _ She looked down at Prompto, who was between Noctis and Aerith.  _ “ Oh, you poor thing… ” _

“Please, no more!” 

Gladiolus moved between her and Prompto. “That’s enough of that.”

She appraised him, then looked over her shoulder. Again she looked at him, this time with an inviting smile. “ _How about we talk this over with some coffee. Okay?_ ” 

“...Can you even drink?” Noctis asked.

She shook her head with a sad smile. “ _ Not really. I can taste, but it’s not a good idea to drink more than a sip. _ ”

As Tifa went behind the bar again, Noctis began to throw Prompto’s clothing back into his suitcase. The blond was still shaking, leaning against a wall, looking like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. “I really don’t wanna stay…”

“...Oh. Sorry about breaking your friend,” Aerith said.

“The only one here that seems to care is Tifa,” Gladiolus replied harshly. “How the hell does she run an inn with you three runnin’ around?”

“I ask myself that sometimes,” Tifa replied as she began to fix coffee, looking lively as ever. 

Ignis was the first to move, taking a seat near Vincent, unfazed as ever. “So, how did you come to haunt this inn?”

“We bought this place almost two hundred years ago, after everyone slowly began to abandon Edge,” she began, leaning on the counter. “Cloud and me raised a family here, grew old, then we died. We left the inn to Vincent, since the rest of the family wasn’t too interested in this venue. Had enough of it as kids.”   
  
“Figured he’d like to sleep off a couple of decades here,” Cloud said as he suddenly appeared by Tifa’s side. She shoved into him a bit. 

Vincent snorted. “I appreciated the thought.”

“A couple of decades?” Noctis slid onto a stool. Was Vincent immortal? He was jealous of the thought of taking a nap for so long.

“Are you a vampire?” Prompto asked of Vincent, still shy of taking a seat.

Vincent’s lips crept into a small smile, and he sipped his wine again. “No, I’m not a vampire.”

“He’s a very old friend of ours, from our youth,” Tifa added. “Anyway, we sort of...woke up as ghosts.”

“It has its perks,” Cloud said as he got some mugs ready. “Still kinda miss daylight, though.”

“What about those two?” Noctis jabbed his thumb backwards, towards Zack and Aerith.

Cloud’s face became rather contemplative when he turned around. “...That’s a long story.”

“Aww, you’re gonna make him sappy!” Zack said as he took a seat next to Gladiolus, Aerith following suit. “It’s all in the past!”

“Mm.” Tifa filled the mugs up, then offered them to the four with Cloud’s help. “I’m sorry about the trouble earlier, again…”

Noctis took his coffee and stared into it. He looked over at Prompto, who was still fidgeting and watching his back, then at Tifa, who had apologetic, ruby eyes on a face trying not to be glum. “Why do you want us to stay?”

“Oh, well…” She twirled a lock of hair on her finger. “It might seem strange, but you seemed to be in a bit of a pinch…”

“That and you said you’re from another world,” Aerith continued. “Don’t give me that look! You said it right outside of the inn!”

“We didn’t know there were eavesdropping ghosts,” Gladiolus retorted.

“Are you sure you weren’t gonna cook us?” Prompto asked suddenly, his hand smoothing his hair. “You have a big pot in the kitchen, what’re you putting in there?!”

“...Behemoth meat,” Cloud answered with a growing smirk. “King Behemoth meat.”

Ignis narrowed his eyes as he put his mug down. “You were in the cave.”

“Me, too!” said Zack with a wave. “We didn’t know it was a King Behemoth until we got there, though.”

“Tifa wanted something special for the stew she was making,” Cloud said. “It’s tough meat, but prepare it right and it’s really good.”

“Which is what I should be doing.” Tifa leaned on the counter. “Our relatives are coming tomorrow. You’re welcome to stay until you find a way home, of course.”   
  
“You’ll need to tell us about this other world,” Vincent said after finishing his glass. “We can’t help you more if you won’t speak to us about it.”   
  
Ignis turned his head towards Noctis. “Noct, I’m still not sure if we should divulge that information…”

Noctis considered Ignis’ words; a lot had been divulged to them in the last ten minutes or so. They had money to go somewhere else, too. Somewhere that wasn’t haunted. But…

He nodded at Tifa. “How about we swap stories?”

“Sounds good to me,” Cloud said. “I need practice reciting for tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I know shitty punch, it's just a comfy fic


End file.
